Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Wayne Radinsky @waynerad.bsky.social · 20h

Someone (on an account with Russian writing) attempted to submit code to systemd with a new feature called "detect-fash," "which scans a system for the presence of software and configurations known to be associated with fascist ideologies."

github.com/systemd/syst...

detect-fash: A utility to detect problematic software and configurations by soscho2143 · Pull Request #39285 · systemd/systemd

This PR introduces a new utility, detect-fash, which scans a system for the presence of software and configurations known to be associated with fascist ideologies. This may help identify undesirabl...

github.com

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Wayne Radinsky @waynerad.bsky.social · 1d

If you've heard that geofencing was used by Israel to target advertising by Christians, it looks like that's true and the reason we know is a Foreign Agents Registration Act filing, something I didn't know anything about.

efile.fara.gov/docs/7653-Ex...

#solidstatelife #geofencing #geopolitics

efile.fara.gov

1

Wayne Radinsky @waynerad.bsky.social · 3d

Tiny Recursive Models beat large language models on the ARC-AGI tests of intelligence.

arxiv.org/abs/2510.04871

Less is More: Recursive Reasoning with Tiny Networks

Hierarchical Reasoning Model (HRM) is a novel approach using two small neural networks recursing at different frequencies. This biologically inspired method beats Large Language models (LLMs) on hard ...

arxiv.org

Wayne Radinsky @waynerad.bsky.social · 5d

Is the possibility that gradient descent and backpropagation aren't the foundations of intelligence itself keeping you up at night?

ashvardanian.com/posts/llm-ep...

#solidstatelife #ai #genai #llms

Are LLMs the Epicycles of Intelligence?

I’ve always been fascinated by AI and mega-projects — and as I work on AI infrastructure, you might assume I’m equally fascinated by the current LLM race. In reality, I’m far more skeptical than most....

ashvardanian.com

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Wayne Radinsky @waynerad.bsky.social · 5d

No. The link is just a press release devoid of details. I'm interested in knowing how they did it. If you find out anything, let me know!

Wayne Radinsky @waynerad.bsky.social · 5d

"User ban controversy reveals Bluesky's decentralized aspiration isn't reality. Bluesky's protocol is so complicated that not even the biggest alternative network has figured out how to become independent."

plus.flux.community/p/banning-co...

#solidstatelife #socialmedia #moderation #bluesky

Banning controversy reveals Bluesky’s federation isn’t there yet

Bluesky’s protocol is so complicated that not even the biggest alternative network has figured out how to become independent

plus.flux.community

1

Wayne Radinsky @waynerad.bsky.social · 5d

camfer (no capitalization) is an AI CAD tool that works with SolidWorks on Windows.

If you're a SolidWorks user and give it a whirl, let me know how it goes.

camfer.dev

#solidstatelife #ai #genai #cad

camfer - the AI CAD tool

camfer is an AI mechanical engineer that collaborates with human engineers to do design tasks end-to-end. Download and use camfer for free in your CAD workflows.

camfer.dev

Wayne Radinsky @waynerad.bsky.social · 6d

AI GIF Generate is an AI animated GIF generator.

aigifgenerate.com

#solidstatelife #ai #genai #computervision #imageai

AI GIF Generator from Photos to Meme | PlayMoji

Upload photos or videos to our AI GIF generator to batch create animated GIFs and memes. Turn images or videos to GIF memes or stickers for social sharing.

aigifgenerate.com

Wayne Radinsky @waynerad.bsky.social · 7d

In the discussion between Richard Sutton, pioneer of reinforcement learning, and Dwarkesh Patel, YouTuber, the two spoke past each other because they were "speaking two different languages", says Ksenia Se of "Turing Post".

www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwhH...

Richard Sutton and Dwarkesh Patel – speaking two different languages

YouTube video by Turing Post

www.youtube.com

Wayne Radinsky @waynerad.bsky.social · 8d

"How functional programming shaped (and twisted) frontend development."

If it seems like ideas in React and Redux resemble ideas from the "functional languages paradigm" in languages like Haskell, it's not your imagination.

alfy.blog/2025/10/04/h...

How Functional Programming Shaped (and Twisted) Frontend Development

alfy.blog

Wayne Radinsky @waynerad.bsky.social · 8d

It is alleged (by The Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto), that Israel is using AI to create online "influence operations" aimed at "regime change" in Iran, starting with a deepfake of IDF air strikes on Evin Prison in Tehran.

citizenlab.ca/2025/10/ai-e...

We Say You Want a Revolution: PRISONBREAK - An AI-Enabled Influence Operation Aimed at Overthrowing the Iranian Regime - The Citizen Lab

We investigate a coordinated network of inauthentic X accounts that is spreading AI-generated content to induce revolt in Iran. The network has been active since 2023, but increased activity during th...

citizenlab.ca

Wayne Radinsky @waynerad.bsky.social · 8d

MEMS lidar.

"Eric Aguilar and his team at startup Omnitron Sensors developed new micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) technology that he claims can produce more force per unit area than any other."

spectrum.ieee.org/mems-lidar

#solidstatelife #lidar #mems

Omnitron Sensors’ New Chip Tackles Lidar’s Biggest Weakness

This startup says it's invented the most powerful MEMS micromirrors yet.

spectrum.ieee.org

1

Wayne Radinsky @waynerad.bsky.social · 8d

"New research by LayerX shows how a single weaponized URL, without any malicious page content, is enough to let an attacker steal any sensitive data that has been exposed in Perplexity's Comet AI browser."

layerxsecurity.com/blog/cometja...

CometJacking: How One Click Can Turn Perplexity's Comet AI Browser Against You - LayerX

Executive summary New research by LayerX shows how a single weaponized URL, without any malicious page content, is enough to let an attacker steal any sensitive data that has been exposed in the Comet...

layerxsecurity.com

Wayne Radinsky @waynerad.bsky.social · 9d

The claim is being made that the government of the Caribbean island of Anguilla now gets 47% of its income from registrations of .ai domains.

Honorable mention in the comments section: .io (Indian Ocean), .fm (Federated States of Micronesia), and .tk (Tokelau).

www.reddit.com/r/dataisbeau...

AI boom makes Caribbean island rich: Anguilla now generates 47% of its income from .ai domains, up from <1% prior to the boom [OC]

www.reddit.com

Wayne Radinsky @waynerad.bsky.social · 9d

The claim is being made that at JPMorgan, the shift to agentic AI "favors those who work directly with clients -- a private banker with a roster of rich investors, traders who cater to hedge fund and pension managers, or investment bankers with relationships with ..."

www.cnbc.com/2025/09/30/j...

Here's JPMorgan Chase's blueprint to become the world’s first fully AI-powered megabank

JPMorgan, the world's largest bank by market cap, is being "fundamentally rewired" to automate knowledge work across its operations, its data chief says.

www.cnbc.com

Wayne Radinsky @waynerad.bsky.social · 10d

According to an NPR/PBS News/Marist poll, the percentage of US adults that agree with the statement, "Americans may have to resort to violence in order to get the country back on track" has increased in the last year.

www.npr.org/2025/10/01/n...

Poll: More Americans now agree political violence may be necessary to right the country

On hot button issues, a majority say children should be vaccinated; controlling gun violence is more important than gun rights; and Epstein files should be released, in a new NPR/PBS News/Marist poll.

www.npr.org

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Wayne Radinsky @waynerad.bsky.social · 10d

ImageTextEdit lets you "edit text in images with AI magic."

Not that you could trust images before, but thanks to this you can trust them even less. ;)

imagetextedit.com

#solidstatelife #ai #genai #computervision #imageai

Image Text Edit - Edit Text in Images

Edit Text in Images with AI

imagetextedit.com

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Wayne Radinsky @waynerad.bsky.social · 10d

"Orbiting the Hénon Attractor."

Fractal images that remind me of the rings of Saturn or the cloud formations of Jupiter or Saturn.

observablehq.com/@yurivish/or...

#mathematics #fractals

Orbiting the Hénon Attractor

The Hénon strange attractor is a system of two simple equations that gives rise to chaotic behavior. I first encountered Jared Tarbell's beautiful visualizations of the attractor many years ago and re...

observablehq.com

2

Wayne Radinsky @waynerad.bsky.social · 10d

xAI, Elon Musk's AI company, is making an alternative to Wikipedia called Grokipedia.

x.com/elonmusk/sta...

#solidstatelife #ai #genai #llms #xai

Elon Musk on X: "We are building Grokipedia @xAI. Will be a massive improvement over Wikipedia. Frankly, it is a necessary step towards the xAI goal of understanding the Universe." / X

We are building Grokipedia @xAI. Will be a massive improvement over Wikipedia. Frankly, it is a necessary step towards the xAI goal of understanding the Universe.

x.com

1

Wayne Radinsky @waynerad.bsky.social · 11d

An aircraft that can reduce fuel burn by over 60% by using "laminar-flow aerodynamics" (as well as other technologies) has been produced, or so it is claimed by an aerospace startup company, Otto Aerospace, which announced its first fleet customer will be Flexjet.

ottoaerospace.com/news/otto-ae...

Otto Aerospace

The Otto Aerospace Phantom 3500 is a masterpiece of engineering— utilizing groundbreaking laminar flow technology, digital design tools, and modern manufacturing techniques to achieve unparalleled eff...

ottoaerospace.com

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Wayne Radinsky @waynerad.bsky.social · 11d

"Tilly Norwood is an AI-generated actor whose creator claims she may soon be represented by talent agents."

Alrighty then.

I watched the AI-generated comedy sketch, AI Commissioner ... uh, comedy? It was a sketch.

Is Hollywood getting disrupted? What do you say?

brajeshwar.com/2025/tilly-n...

Tilly Norwood

I’m on an adventure to create beautiful and meaningful products to improve the world for my daughters and their friends.

brajeshwar.com

1

Wayne Radinsky @waynerad.bsky.social · 12d

"A study involving more than nine million pregnancies reported that children whose mothers had gestational diabetes during pregnancy had a higher chance of developing ADHD and autism than did children whose mothers didn't have the condition."

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Gestational diabetes linked to autism in study: what scientists say

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump says his administration has “found an answer to autism”.

www.nature.com

1

Wayne Radinsky @waynerad.bsky.social · 12d

Setsum is an order agnostic, additive, subtractive checksum. At first that sounded impossible, but it's actually simple when you look under the hood. It takes a traditional cryptographic hash function, breaks the output into fixed-size integers, and then adds or subtracts...

avi.im/blag/2025/se...

Setsum - order agnostic, additive, subtractive checksum - blag

A brief introduction to Setsum - order agnostic, additive, subtractive checksum

avi.im

Wayne Radinsky @waynerad.bsky.social · 13d

A variant of the infamous Petya/NotPetya ransomeware virus has been discovered that is capable of bypassing UEFI Secure Boot on outdated systems.

www.welivesecurity.com/en/eset-rese...

Introducing HybridPetya: Petya/NotPetya copycat with UEFI Secure Boot bypass

ESET Research has discovered HybridPetya, a copycat of the infamous Petya/NotPetya malware that adds the capability of compromising UEFI-based systems and weaponizing CVE‑2024‑7344 to bypass UEFI Secu...

www.welivesecurity.com

1

Wayne Radinsky @waynerad.bsky.social · 14d

"An advanced version of Gemini 2.5 Deep Think has achieved gold-medal level performance at the 2025 International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC) World Finals."

deepmind.google/discover/blo...

OpenAI also claims Gold in the ICPC:

x.com/MostafaRohan...

x.com